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OM |
"Om is the one eternal
syllable of which all
that exists is but the
development. The past,
the present, and the
future are all included
in this one sound, and
all that exists beyond
the three forms of time
is also implied in it".
Om is not a word but rather an
intonation, which, like music,
transcends the barriers of age,
race, culture and even species. It
is made up of three Sanskrit
letters, aa, au and ma which, when
combined together, make the sound
Aum or Om. It is believed to be the
basic sound of the world and to
contain all other sounds. It is a
mantra
or prayer in itself. If repeated
with the correct intonation, it can
resonate throughout the body so that
the sound penetrates to the centre
of one's being, the atman or soul.
During
meditation,
when we chant Om, we create within
ourselves a vibration that attunes
sympathy with the cosmic vibration
and we start thinking universally.
The momentary silence between each
chant becomes palpable. Mind moves
between the opposites of sound and
silence until, at last, it ceases
the sound. In the silence, the
single thought—Om—is quenched; there
is no thought. This is the state of
trance, where the mind and the
intellect are transcended as the
individual self merges with the
Infinite Self in the pious moment of
realization. It is a moment when the
petty worldly affairs are lost in
the desire for the universal. Such
is the immeasurable power of Om.
This symbol is comprised of three
syllables put into one. In Sanskrit
the vowel "o" is constitutionally a
diphthong compound of a + u; hence
OM is representatively written as
AUM. The symbol of AUM is formed by
three curves (curves 1, 2, and 3),
one semicircle (curve 4), and a dot.
The large lower curve forms the
waking state (jagrat), in this state
the consciousness of a human is
turned towards the gate of sense.
The larger size of the curve
signifies that this is the most
common state of the human
consciousness.
The upper curve represents the state
of deep slumber (sushupti) in other
words, the unconscious state. This
is a state where the human has no
desire of anything nor does he have
a dream.
The middle curve implies the dream
state (swapna). In this state the
consciousness of a person is turned
inwards, and the person who dreams
holds an exciting view of the world.
These are the three states of an
individual's consciousness, and
since Indian mystic thought believes
the entire manifested reality to
spring from this consciousness,
these three curves represent the
entire physical phenomenon.
OM - the basic mantra of many. The
seed sound of the sixth chakra where
the masculine and feminine energies
in one's body meet. Om, the sound
that brings peace to many, the sound
that contains the principle of
unity. Through meditation on the
sound Om, one can release worry and
find serenity within the mind.
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ANKH |
The ankh is an ancient
Egyptian symbol of life.
Also known as an Ansata
cross, it is a visual
representation of a
sandal strap.
The horizontal and vertical bars
of the lower tau cross represent
the feminine and masculine
energy, respectively. This
combination of male and female
symbols (the cross and circle)
in the ankh suggest fertility
and creative power. The top loop
also symbolises the sun on the
horizon, and suggests
reincarnation and rebirth.
The ankh appears frequently in
Egyptian writings about rebirth,
and this symbolism was adopted
by Coptic Christians, especially
gnostic sects, to symbolize the
resurrection of Christ and the
heavenly marriage. The ankh was
an earlier form of the cross
than the better known "latin"
cross.
The Ankh is also considered to
have meaning in Ritual magick
and in Wiccan/Neopagan
traditions, as a symbol of
immortality and completion.
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SCARAB |
This symbol related to death and
rebirth and also represents Atum
(also known as the sun God Ra)
as pushing the Sun around the
heavens until it is reborn at
dawn, only to die each night
where he/she fights with the
underworld to emerge victorious
to begin a new day. To dream of
a beetle could signify new
beginnings.
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TRIQUETRA |
The triquetra (pronounced try-KET-ra,
Latin for "three cornered") is a
Celtic knot with a triangular
design symbolizing all trinities
including the Triple Goddess
(Maiden, Mother & Crone); the
eternal cycle of life, death,
and rebirth, and the realms of
Air, Earth and Sea which, to the
ancient Celts, represented the
entire Universe. To Christians,
the triquetra has been used to
symbolize the Holy Trinity
(Father, Son & Holy Ghost) In
fact, many cultures and
religions have considered the
number three to be holy or
divine for millenia. A symbol of
three interlocking circles
looking somewhat like a
three-leaf clover without out
stem has been found on religious
statues in India that were made
5000 years ago.
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THE GODDESS |
There are many symbols
of the divine feminine
archetype but this
ancient Lunar Goddess is
one of the most
familiar, and beloved.
The Goddess is symbolic
of the regenerative,
life giving forces of
the Cosmos. She is the
keeper of wisdom and
magickal power, the
spirit of Earth and the
Heavens. The Lunar
Goddess represents the
light within darkness
and enlightenment from
ignorance. She gives us
the ability to
regenerate ourselves
anew and transform
ourselves again and
again.
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THE MOON |
The Moon is associated
with The Goddess in
paganism, and represents
intuition, magick and
mystery. As the Moon,
She waxes and wanes from
Maiden (left facing
crescent) to
Mother/Mature Woman of
Passion (full circle) to
Crone (right facing
crescent). Each year She
is reborn again as the
Maiden symbolizing the
eternal, endlessly
cycling circle of life.
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SPIRAL |
The spiral is an ancient symbol
reflecting the universal pattern
of growth and evolution. The
spiral pattern appears again and
again in the natural world from
the milky way galaxy to snail
shells. The living spiral does
not begin or end, it is an
ongoing process of innocence,
discovery, community, and the
essence that connects all
things.
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PENTAGRAM |
The Pentagram is a five-pointed
star usually drawn in one
continuous line with no
beginning and no end. It
represents the four physical
elements of Earth, Air, Fire and
Water plus Akasha/Spirit. Each
point is equally spaced from the
others because they are all
equally important. Often it is
said to represent humanity,
since the two lower points are
similar to legs, the top one
represents the head, and the
remaining two are arms.
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PENTACLE |
The Pentacle is a pentagram
within a circle, representing
the interconnectedness of all
things. The circle represents
the wheel of life, the cycles of
the seasons in endless
procession, with no beginning
and no end.
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TRIPLE MOON |
A representation of the Triple
Lunar Goddess representing the
three aspects of the moon
(waxing, waning, and full) and
womankind (mother, maiden,
crone)
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Hamsa ~ Healing Hand ~ Hand
of Fatima ~ Kabbalistic Hand
~ Khamsa |
Hamsa is an ancient symbol of
protection used by many
cultures. It is called the Hand
of Fatima by Muslims, the hamsa
hand in Arabic and hamesh hand
in Hebrew. There is also strong
evidence that this symbol
predates Judaism and Islam and
refers to an ancient Middle
Eastern Goddess whose hand wards
off the Evil Eye.
There is usually an image in the
center of the hand: eye, spiral
and heart designs are common.
The Hamsa’s protective energy is
said to attract good luck,
happiness, riches and good
health.
Reiki healers hold this symbol
very dear, a representation of
Universal Healing Energy being
channeled through the hands.
Namaste:
"The God in me greets the God in
you. The Spirit in me meets the same
Spirit in you."
Translated into a bodily act,
yogic practice, greeting and
farewell, Namaste has its
complex meaning and symbolism.
In general the gesture (or mudra)
of Namaste is performed by
bringing together both palms of
the hands before the heart, and
lightly bowing the head. In the
simplest of terms it is accepted
as a humble greeting straight
from the heart and reciprocated
accordingly.
The whole action of Namaste
unfolds itself at three levels:
mental,
physical, and verbal.
Namaste starts with a mental
submission. This submission is
in the
spirit of total surrender of the
self. By performing namaste
before an individual we
recognize the divine spark in
him. Further by facilitating our
partaking of these divine
qualities, namaste makes us
aware of these very
characteristics residing within
our own selves.
We place the hands together at
the heart charka, close the
eyes, and
bow the head. It can also be
done by placing the hands
together in front of the third
eye, bowing the head, and then
bringing the hands down to the
heart. This is an especially
deep form of respect.
We bring the hands together at
the heart chakra to increase the
flow of Divine love. Bowing the
head and closing the eyes helps
the mind surrender to the Divine
in the heart. One can do Namaste
to oneself as a meditation
technique to go deeper inside
the heart chakra; when done with
someone else, it is also a
beautiful, albeit quick,
meditation.
The proper performance of
Namaste requires that we blend
the five fingers of the left
hand exactly with the fingers of
the right hand. The significance
behind this simple act in fact
governs the entire gamut of our
active life. The five fingers of
the left hand represent the five
senses of karma, and those of
the right hand the five organs
of knowledge. Hence it signifies
that our karma or action must be
in harmony, and governed by
rightful knowledge, prompting us
to think and act correctly. |
